Great Drive in the Jaguar XJR-15
Discussion
BoxerF50 said:
hurstg01 said:
Nice!
I like this vid too, from one of the XJ220's...
This one?I like this vid too, from one of the XJ220's...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOBRS4JSm_E&fea...
I picked up the XJR-15 last weekend and drove it home. Total distance was about 40 miles and took back roads the entire way. Having not driven the XJR15 in six months I was a bit nervous that I would be out of sync with the car. However it all came back very quickly and we had a very enjoyable drive back down. That V12 really is a fantastic engine with endless grunt. Car behaved perfectly, even when we got stuck in traffic cutting through Slough.
BoxerF50 said:
No, it will be in the Ascot/Woking area.
I've seen You!!!! Where you not (one day last year) showing an F40 (in Red of course) how to drive past St. Peters hospital !! PS: You nearly made me crash my XJ12.... just the sight of those two motors... sweeet
EDited..
Sorry it was an F50!!! All that was missing was an Orange LP400!
Edited by V12 Migaloo on Tuesday 8th January 15:05
hurstg01 said:
It looked great when I snapped it on the lawn of Goodwood House in August last year
Thanks. That was a great drive down that day. Found this which provides some great insights into the XJR-15:
(from Wikipedia)
History
Tom Walkinshaw conceived the concept in 1988, following Jaguar's success at Le Mans, enlisting Peter Stevens to develop a road-going version of the XJR-9, originally designated as R-9R.
In order to adapt the XJR-9 for road use, Stevens made a number of modifications to increase space and improve access. "Taking the race car as a base, we widened the cockpit by 75mm and raised the roof by 40mm to allow more headroom" he said, when interviewed in 1991.[1] "The scale model was ready by Easter 1989, from there we went to clay...which was finished by October (1989). The first prototype was held up by Le Mans preparations but it was ready for Tom (Walkinshaw) to drive when he came back from France in July 1990."
TWR explicitly developed the XJR-15 as a road-going racing car, in the mould of the Jaguar C and D types, the Ford GT40 and the Ferrari 250 GTO. As such, the car complied with British construction and use regulations and could be registered by the owner for road-use in the UK, although with such a limited production run, the car was never type approved.
The car's production was announced in a press release on November 15, 1990 with an official launch at Silverstone early in 1991. XJR-15 was built by Jaguar Sport in Bloxham Oxfordshire (a subsidiary of TWR) England from 1990 to 1992.
Design
XJR-15 was derived from the Le Mans winning XJR-9 racing car, sharing many component parts
The mid-engine, rear-wheel drive sports car is powered by a 450 hp (336 kW), naturally aspirated 24-valve V12 engine of 5993 cc, with a Group C bottom-end and Group A top-end. The engine features an advanced electronically managed fuel injection system with a very advanced (for its time) 'fly by wire' throttle. Transmission is via a TWR 6-speed manual, unsynchronized transmission (a 5-speed, synchromesh transmission was also available as an optional extra).
The XJR-15's chassis and bodywork are composed of carbon fibre and Kevlar (XJR-15 was the first road-going car built entirely of Carbon and Kevlar composites,[2] before the McLaren F1 used similar techniques in 1993). It was designed to comply with 1990 Group C regulations, being 480 cm long, 190 cm wide and 110 cm high. At 1050 kg, the XJR-15 weighed about the same as a contemporary VW Golf.
Suspension is fully independent, with non-adjustable Bilstein shock absorbers all round. Front suspension is by wide-based wishbones, working push-rods to spring damper units mounted horizontally across the centre of the car. TWR racing practice is also followed at the rear, with vertical coil-springs mounted in units with uprights within the rear wheels, allowing for the maximum possible venturi tunnels. The engine forms a stressed member for the rear-frame. The bottom of the car is completely flat, in line with Group C practice.
Steel disc brakes are fitted, with powerful AP four-pot callipers.
The XJR-15 has a 0–60 mph time of 3.9 seconds and a (gearing limited) top speed of 191 mph (307 km/h) (race car).
Although marketed as a racer, the car had been developed as a "road-going-racer" and as such, the ride height was somewhat higher than required to take full advantage of under-body aerodynamics. Additionally, the suspension was softer than would be found on the XJR-9 racer and - in a last-minute deal - Tom Walkinshaw switched tyre suppliers from Goodyear to Bridgestone just before the race series started. When interviewed by Autosport[3] in 2011, Ian Flux recalled: "The worst thing was that Tom had done a deal with Bridgestone. At first, it was going to be on road tyres, but then they changed to slicks and wets. The fronts weren't a problem, but they didn't have moulds for the rears, so used F40 moulds instead. They went off very quickly and it was hard to judge how hard to push."
As Tiff Needell, who road-tested a development car at Silverstone early in 1991, put it: "the result is oversteer". However, once accustomed to the characteristics, he went on: "Through the very tight chicane, the XJR-15 showed excellent change of direction and I was able to pick up power early for the long right hander leading up to Beckett's. This gradually became a long right-hand power slide as my confidence increased." Users of the car as a racer in later years would lower the suspension, fit a larger wing and proper tyres to restore race-car dynamics.
As a road-car, the suspension was more softly set-up and with the right tyres, testers were unanimous in their praise. Ian Kuah, writing in World Sports Cars in 1992[4]: "Considering its racing pedigree, ride quality is pretty good - at low speeds, better than a Ferrari 348...Levels of grip are far beyond those transgressed by any sane man, except perhaps when exiting a tight corner in a low gear when the sheer grunt pushing you through can persuade the huge Bridgestones to relinquish some grip. Seat of the pants feel and communication is terrific and the steering nicely weighted so that smooth inputs are easy. When it comes to stopping, the huge AP Racing brakes - with softer pads for road use - wash off speed with steely determination."
Ron Grable, the racing driver, writing in Motor Trend in May 1992[5]: "As the engine sprang into a muted rumbling idle, it was impossible to keep from grinning. Easing the unsynchronised six-speed into gear, I accelerated onto the straight. Many race cars are diabolical to get moving...not so the Jag, the smooth V-12 pulled cleanly away, nearly as docile as a street-car. On the track, the XJR-15 is a truly wonderful ride, the perfect compromise between racing and street. You can say the savage edge of a pure race car has been softened slightly, or conversely, that it's the best handling street car you can imagine. Being 100% composite, it's so light that every aspect of performance is enhanced. Relatively low spring and roll rates are enough to keep it stable in pitch and roll, as well as deliver a high level of ride compliance. The brakes are phenomenal and the acceleration fierce. And always, there's that V-12, a medley of mechanical noises superimposed over the raucous rise and fall of the exhaust."
The XJR-15 offers little in the way of practicality. Entry to the car, over a wide sill, requires the driver to step onto the driving seat. The gear-lever is mounted on the right-hand side of the driver (all cars are right-hand-drive), while the driver and passenger seat are extremely close together - almost central in the car. There is little in the way of sound insulation, so an in-car head-set system is fitted. There is virtually no storage space. However, considering the purpose for which it was intended, the interior was highly praised in contemporary road reports. Ron Grable again: "Aesthetically, the XJR-15's interior is breathtaking. Expanses of shiny black carbon fibre woven with yellow Kevlar are everywhere, all fitting together with meticulous precision. Instrumentation is detailed and legibly analogue. The shift leaver is less than 3 inches from the small steering wheel, and the motion between gears is almost imperceptible. The reclined seating position provides excellent forward visibility - over the top of the instrument panel you see only racetrack."
Boxer - thanks for the update! The car is looking superb, as always.
Hearing about your own experiences with the car certainly helped my decision making when I bought one last year. The first test drive (small vid here) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiKdy5bL6ec was awesome. There is a lot of nonsense written about these cars, which - in a way - I am thankful for, as it made the car quite affordable for what it is. The handling is superb - bonded to the road with the seat-of-the-pants feel that only a true racing car can offer. It's the details, like the start-up procedure, the whir of the starter-motor, the driving position, the unbelievable noise from the V12 reverberating through the tub, the gear-lever set in that huge sill, all that carbon-fibre, even the headset, that make the package so complete, unlike anything on the road - the only comparison I can think of is an F1 GTR.
I am looking forward to getting the car back from its new paint job, ready for a lot of driving this year...
Hearing about your own experiences with the car certainly helped my decision making when I bought one last year. The first test drive (small vid here) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiKdy5bL6ec was awesome. There is a lot of nonsense written about these cars, which - in a way - I am thankful for, as it made the car quite affordable for what it is. The handling is superb - bonded to the road with the seat-of-the-pants feel that only a true racing car can offer. It's the details, like the start-up procedure, the whir of the starter-motor, the driving position, the unbelievable noise from the V12 reverberating through the tub, the gear-lever set in that huge sill, all that carbon-fibre, even the headset, that make the package so complete, unlike anything on the road - the only comparison I can think of is an F1 GTR.
I am looking forward to getting the car back from its new paint job, ready for a lot of driving this year...
Thanks for the feedback on the vid - the car is phenomenally loud, which is not really captured with an i-phone! I will be returning it to 'show car' spec as in this photo. It is one of my favourite schemes and was actually penned by a young Ian Callum as one of his first jobs at TWR Design (which he co-directed with Peter Stevens).SteveO220 said:
Thanks for the feedback on the vid - the car is phenomenally loud, which is not really captured with an i-phone! I will be returning it to 'show car' spec as in this photo. It is one of my favourite schemes and was actually penned by a young Ian Callum as one of his first jobs at TWR Design (which he co-directed with Peter Stevens).Stevo220, I am looking forward to seeing the car when it's finished. Even if I was tempted to do something with mine, I feel the Nr 1 car should remain original. I have just acquired a second car, a road version with 5 speed box and LM spec body work. I will probably repaint this one to a high standard. Boxer's always looks fantastic, it's a tough standard to meet.
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